Last month, Vale of Glamorgan Councillor Owen Griffiths left the Labour Party under acrimonious circumstances.

He had served as a Labour Councillor for seven years, the last two of which he claims were characterised by a toxic culture, personal vendettas, and bullying.

Councillor Griffiths says he was the victim of ageism and even the recipient of a threat made about his political future. He believes the senior leadership - namely Council Leader Cllr Neil Moore and Deputy Leader Cllr Lis Burnett - not only failed to address his concerns but were the main perpetrators.

Did the treatment Cllr Griffiths endure in the Vale Labour group amount to bullying? Or was he perhaps ill-suited to the at times combative nature of party politics?

Via the now-independent councillor, Nub News has obtained evidence in the form of secret recordings and private messages.

We will present such evidence in this article for Vale residents to make up their own minds.

A blatant threat?

Councillor Griffiths says his early experiences as a Labour Councillor were broadly positive.

However, he remembers the atmosphere quickly changing after Tory defections allowed Vale Labour to seize power in May 2019.

"It changed fundamentally as soon as there was a sniff of power," he told Nub News. "You saw a lot of personality traits that weren't necessarily there beforehand. After we got back into power, you saw how power-hungry people were. It's all about self-preservation for them as much as anything else.

"Suddenly the backbench members of the Labour group were irrelevant. They were just a number."

Cllr Griffiths was an outspoken critic of then-opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

When the party was rocked by accusations of antisemitism and the failure to address them, Cllr Griffiths made several Tweets criticising his own party.

On 3 December, just nine days before the 2019 General Election, he referred to the Labour Party as "institutionally racist under its current leadership".

According to Cllr Griffiths, he then received a phone call from Cllr Lis Burnett discouraging him from voicing such criticism.

"They wanted me to be quiet and they didn't want my speaking out about antisemitism by the Labour Party in the UK to affect my career," he said.

"It was a blatant threat from the Deputy Leader. She said quite clearly on the phone that it was more important to get re-elected than for me to speak out."

Cllr Burnett has declined to comment on any of the specific accusations made by Cllr Griffiths.

Asked whether he could understand why the deputy leader took such action, Cllr Griffiths said, "I don't think it's appropriate to say just because there's an election you shouldn't speak out about something important.

"There's more to public office than just winning elections. Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in."

Black Lives Matter

Cllr Griffiths also cites the tone of disagreement around the Council's response to 2020's Black Lives Matter protests among his main concerns.

In his resignation letter he said, "senior members of the group used, in my view, inappropriate language, were unnecessarily hostile to opposing views and arguably undermined a member's age in an attempt to belittle, undermine and bully."

Much of this exchange took place over a WhatsApp group chat, the contents of which Cllr Griffiths sent to Nub News in what he claims to be an unedited form.

Among other disagreements, the chat included a dispute over whether the Council should provide PPE to a Black Lives Matter demonstration held in Barry on 13 June.

Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam wrote, "you as white councillors must show solidarity in some way. Attacking people for asking about PPE (however misplaced) in my mind is not demonstrating that. As I said previously, you can be supportive while upholding the law."

Cllr Lis Burnett responded, "I was probably protesting against Apartheid before many of the group were born […]. How dare you tell me I must show solidarity?"

As part of a longer response, Cllr Neil Moore said, "I am offended just because I am White. That is racist too."

Cllr Sivagnanam replied, "I am unhappy at the way in which I have been directly and indirectly attacked here. By my colleagues. I haven't lectured anyone here but clearly this isn't a safe space for me. Clearly."

Cllr Griffiths uses this incident as evidence of other councillors enduring similar experiences to his own.

"It didn't feel like anything you were saying would be met with anything other than hostility from the leadership," he said.

"Ultimately, it progressed to a point where I no longer felt comfortable or able to speak in the group without a continuous barrage of members dismissing everything I was saying or doing.

"All I can tell you was being part of that conversation felt like an attempt to silence and discredit people with opposing views."

Councillors Moore, Burnett and Sivagnanam all declined to comment on this incident.

"I'd rather have no one than him"

On 10 March 2021, the Vale of Glamorgan set its budget for the next financial year. It included a controversial 3.9% increase in council tax.

Acting against the whip, Cllr Griffiths abstained from the vote because he believed it "wasn't right for my residents".

The budget still passed by a narrow margin of four votes, but members of the Labour group were furious.

He was issued a formal written warning. During the disciplinary session, Leader Cllr Neil Moore said, "I thought we'd agreed it was a final written warning? […] If it hadn't been for an election period I think it probably would have been the right thing to actually have an exclusion from the group".

Cllr Griffiths accepts that he broke the whip but thinks issuing the written warning was driven by an ulterior motive - namely to hinder his political career.

His main gripe with this episode, however, came during the Labour Group's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held a week later.

During the selection process for the next year's committee positions, Cllr Anne Moore said:

"I've got to say something. I feel very strongly. I don't believe Owen can represent this Labour Group on the standards committee.

"With what we just went through last week, I don't think he's the right person on that committee. I'd rather see nobody on than him."

Cllr Neil Moore then added: "I shouldn't be saying this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I've lost confidence in Owen whether he likes it or not."

Cllr Griffiths took issue with what he perceived as continued punishment for a resolved issue.

When asking for clarification, he referred to Cllr Neil Moore and Cllr Anne Moore as "Councillors Moore", which Cllr Anne Moore took offence to.

"I've been on this Labour group for 30-odd years (which Owen won't like because I'm an old member) and I'm always there with my own opinion.

"Just because I happen to be married to [Cllr Neil Moore] and sat next to him, doesn't mean I have to vote the way he wants me to. I vote the way I want to, so don't tie us together, Owen."

Cllr Griffiths apologised, saying his remark was not a reference to their marriage.

Those present at the AGM then voted for Cllr Rhiannon Birch to replace Cllr Griffiths. Nine voted in favour, four against, one abstained.

Cllr Neil Moore and some other councillors present denied that the vote had anything to do with continued punishment.

"What they did in the AGM in particular was vindictive," said Owen. "I think it was done purposefully to undermine my confidence and I think that is personal and they had the option no to do that and they did it.

"I was being targeted by individual areas of the Labour group."

Going it alone

It has now been over a month since Owen Griffiths resigned from the Vale Labour Group. His resignation letter stated that he felt "bullied, belittled and effectively pushed out due to the actions of some, and more importantly inactions of others."

Cllr Griffiths told Nub News he "felt sorry" for any new Labour Council candidates: "The current make-up of the Labour Group will make it incredibly difficult for them.

"They don't like new people and will most probably manipulate it so they only get candidates that they think that they can control."

He continues to serve Buttrills Ward as an independent councillor.

Individual members of the Vale Labour Party mentioned in this article have either declined or not yet responded to our request for comment.

We are awaiting a response from a Vale Labour Party spokesperson.

After his resignation from the party was announced, a Vale Labour Party spokesperson said: "We thank Cllr Griffiths for his service as a Labour councillor and we wish him well for the future."